Joe Flacco took a brutal, and illegal, hit to the head from Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso on Thursday Night Football, which knocked him out of the game with a concussion.
On a third-and-10 play in the second quarter, Flacco tried to scramble for a first down. He started his slide short of the sticks and was already on the ground when Alonso went low to hit Flacco directly in the head with his shoulder.
Flacco's helmet went flying off and he was clearly dazed.
The hit incited a mini brawl along the Ravens sideline as center Ryan Jensen flew in to shove, and then drive, Alonso into the turf. Head Coach John Harbaugh screamed at Alonso from the sideline as the Dolphins linebacker argued with referees, who immediately threw the flag for unnecessary roughness.
Ryan Mallett replaced Flacco and threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Benjamin Watson three plays later.
Flacco was 10-of-15 for 101 yards and a touchdown – a perfect 34-yard strike to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin – before the injury.
